Bed-bottom



(No Model.)

0. S. 8v W. S. FOSTER.

BED BOTTOM.

Patented Jan. '18

N. PETERS, rnom-uxho n lmr, wnhington, D. C.

' UNirE STATES Fries.

ATEN g OSCAR S. FOSTER AND WILLIAM S. FOSTER, OF UTIGA, NET/V YORK.

BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,114, dated January 18, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that we, OSCAR S. FOSTER and WILLIAM S. FosTER, of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed-Bottoms; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in bed-bottoms.

The object is to provide a bed-bottom which may be readily converted from a non-folding to a folding bed-bottom.

A further object is to provide an improved combined coupling and hinge for securing the ends of the border wires in both single and double border bed-bottoms.

With these ends in view our invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the bed-bottom, showing the border coupled by a combined hinge and coupling. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the coupling. Fig. 3 is a detached view of one of the border springs and the border wire in position thereon.

A represents one of the border springs of the bed-bottom. The upper coil of the spring A, at the point where it engages the border wire B, is gathered into the form of a bite or duckbill, b, the end of the bite being bent over and down between the two parts of the wire which are drawn toward each other to form the bite. The border wire B, which extends through the loop formed by the curved duck-bill, has by this construction a double bearing on the spring at points quite widely separated, and having the same relation to the parts of the upper coil immediately adjacent thereto. The border wire occupies the position of a tangent to the upper coil, and the spring may be attached to or removed from the wire by sliding it over the end of the border wire.

The bed-bottom shown in the accompanying drawings, Fig. l, is composed of two half-sections arranged to fold together, leaving the base-frame of each section on the outside when folded. The border wire B is in two parts, each part extending along the edge and ends of one section. The meeting ends of the border wire are bent at right angles, united by a hingecoupling constructed as follows:

0 represents the lowersection of the hingecoupling. Itisprovided on its outer end with an upwardly-extending lip, 0. Immediately inside of the lip c the section is provided with a shallow channel, D, extending transversely across the section and adapted to receive the meeting ends of the border wires. A pair of semi-cylindrical grooves, d, are formed in the upper face of the section 0, extending transversely to the channel D, and adapted to receive the bent ends b of the border sections, which serve as hinge-pintles. Between the grooves 01 are located perforations E, adapted to receive the rivet-studs e, preferably cast integral with the under face of the upper hinge-section, F. The section F is provided with a pair of semicylindrical grooves, f, corresponding to the grooves d in the lower section, and is adapted to rest snugly on and cover the lower section flush with the edge of the channel D. The size of the grooves (l and f may be regulated to suit the different sizesof wire border. When the ends of the border wires are placed in position in the lower section, the upper section is placed in position thereon, with its rivetstuds extending through the perforations E. The ends of the studs 0 are then upset, binding the two sections 0 and F firmly together, and securing the ends of the border wires therein.

The lip c has an extended contact with the ends of the border wire, and tends to prevent them from racking, while it serves to hold the bent ends I) in their sockets.

The hinge-coupling is constructed preferably in two parts, and by casting these of malleable iron, for example, they may be furnished at a small initial cost; but the coupling might be formed of a single casting, the sockets for the pintle being coredout and the retaining-flange done away with.

Instead of forming the bed-bottom in two or more sections, it might be constructed nonfolding by making each end section of the frame carrying the springs continuous, as shown in dotted lines at the top of Fig. 1, instead of in two parts, as shown in solid lines I simple matter to convert the bed-bottom into a folding one by cutting the cross-strips beneath the couplings. This often proves a desirable feature when families desire to transport their goods from place to place.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts of the coupling described without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention; hence we do not wish to limit ourselves strictly to the construction herein set forth.

We are aware that it is old to constructa border wire for a spring-bed of two parts, the adjacent ends of the two sections of the wire being secured to eyelets formed in the opposite ends of a rod running throughout the length of the bed; also, that it is old to connect the slats on which the springs are mounted by rods, the bent ends of which are secured in clips, the latter consisting of an elongated stirruppiece constructed to take over and secure the bent ends of the rods, but leaving them free to turn, and an attaching-stud located about midway and to one side of the stirrup-piece and securely riveted to the slat, and hence we make no claim to such constructions.

Having fully described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a series of outer springs, each provided with a duck-bill-shaped bite in their upper coil, ofa border wire bent at its meeting ends to form hingepintles, and a coupling adapted to pivotally connect the pintle ends of the wire and lock said ends against displacement,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the border wire bent at its meeting ends to form hinge-pintles, of a coupling adapted to pivotally connect the pintle ends of the wire and -lock said ends against displacement,substantially as set forth.

3. The hinge-coupling consisting, essentially, of a lower section provided with a guide-lip at its outer end, and with grooves adapted to receive the ends of wires to be coupled, and an upper section adapted to be secured to the lower section and lock the ends of the wires in position, substantially as set forth.

4. The hinge-coupling consisting, essentially, of two sections, one being provided with grooves and rivet-holes, and the other with grooves and rivets formed integral therewith, substantially as set forth.

5. The hinge-coupling consisting, essentially, of two sections, one being provided with the guide-lip, channel, pintle-grooves, and rivet-holes, and the other with the pintlegrooves and rivets, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR S. FOSTER.

WILLIAM S. FOSTER.

WVitnesses:

lVIYRON WV. VAN AUKEN, HERBERT D. PIToHER. 

